Drawing instrument



July 3, 1951 W. H. SCHNEIDER DRAWING INSTRUMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 k J mzEmCM: m0 m2: 028% EZEMPEJ mo m2] hwmE Yuma MA \w a m h m .wzEELm: m2: 5%

Patented July 3, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRAWING INSTRUIVIENT Application October 27, 1944, Serial No. 560,617

This invention relates to straight edges of the kind used by draftsmen in the drawing of straight lines and to guides or positioning instrumentalities for other drawing and lettering devices by which lines, lettering and the like may be made. More particularly, the invention relates to a straight edge which may be removably fixed in position at any inclination on a drawing surface and removed therefrom without damage to the drawing surface to which it is attached.

One object of the invention is a straight edge adapted to be attached at any angle of inclination on a drawing surface and at any point thereof for use in lettering in conjunction with a template such as is shown, for instance, in United States Patent No. 2,011,195, granted to A. W. Keuifel on August 13, 1935. A scriber whereof the angular relation of its arms is either adjustable as shown in the patent, or fixed, as shown in United States Patent No. 2,050,058 granted to A. W. Keuifel on August 4, 1936, is directed over a surface to be written upon by a tracer pin moving in character grooves in the template. A different template is usually provided for letters of different dimensions or inclinations to the vertical.

Another object of the present invention is a straight edge member of the character described, the characteristics of which bear a definite relation to the characteristics of the instruments, such as scribers and templates, and to be used in the formation of the letters whereby the proper initial location of the straight edge with respect to the first line of letters and the proper spacing of subsequent lines of letters may be quickly and easily determined by the dimensions of the straight edge or reference base lines and marks thereon. In carrying this aspect of the invention into effect a transparent member of generally rectangular configuration is provided with reference marks or slots at different relative positions with respect to the edges of the member to indicate the extent of movement necessary and permit marks to be made on the drawing surface at proper distances.

Another object of the present invention is a straight edge member which may be removably secured to a drawing surface, as by means of socalled masking tape disposed in a novel manner.

In carrying these aspects of the invention into effect, in its preferred embodiment, the straight edge of this invention preferably comprises a rectangular member of any desired composition and which may or may not be transparent. Such straight edge is provided, near each end, with a 10 Claims. (01. 33-23) strip of flexible material, having a normally tacky or adhesive surface on one side thereof, and of which one end is secured to the lower surface of the end portion of the straight edge member and has superimposed on its free end, the end of a similar strip of material, whereof the tacky side faces downwardly and is adhered to the upper tacky surface of the free end of the first strip to extend therefrom in the axial direction away from the end of the member, and be adhered to the drawing surface.

The invention also seeks a straight edge of the character described which is practical from the standpoint of ease of manufacture and convenience and durability in use.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment by which the invention may be realized and in which:

Figure 1 is a view, in plan, showing the straight edge of this invention positioning a template guiding a scriber in lettering;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which the straight edge is used to determine the position of the template for a second line of lettering;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale showing one end of the straight edge of this invention in detail;

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation taken in the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing details of construction;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing a modification of the invention; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view similar to Figure 2 but showing a modification of the invention there disclosed.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 385,793, filed March 29, 1941, for Drawing Instrument; now Patent No. 2,390,466 issued December 4, 1945.

The use of a straight edge of this invention in conjunction with the lettering devices of the patents is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The location of the first line of lettering at any inclination on the drawing surface is first decided upon and indicated, say, by the line 30. The proper location of the template must now be ascertained in order that letters may be formed along the line 30 with a scriber. As will be understood, in order that letters of different sizes, and slanting as well as vertical letters, may be aaeaavo formed along the same line, the templates may conveniently all be so proportioned that, when the tracer pin 4| is at the bottom of a character groove 31, the distance between the pen point 32 of a given scriber (Figure 1) then at the bottom of a line of lettering 3G, and the bottom edge of a template 34 is always the same. This constant distance is indicated at w in Figure l. The straight edge of this invention may conveniently be used as a guide or positioning member for templates. straight edge is used to position the template. Means are therefore desirable to position the'upper edge of the straight edge at the proper distance w from and parallel to the line of lettering 30. Such line may be indicated by the line 33 in Figure 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the straight edge member 6, in this instance transparent, is equal in width to the distance between the pen point 32 of the scriber, when at the bottom of a line of lettering 3B, and the bottom edge of the template 34 indicated by the line 33, i. e., the distance 10. This enables the top longer side edge of the straight edge 6, which is in effect a base line, to be placed'in register with the line 30 and a line drawn or marks made on the paper along the bottom side edge I I of the straight edge 6, as indicated by the line 33 in Figure 1. Since the vertical distance between the base line of the straight edge (caused to register with the line 30) and the bottom edge of the straight edge is the distance 11;, the line 33 thus drawn indicates the position of the bottom edge of the template. The straight edge 6 may then be moved so that its top side edge coincides with the line or marks 33 and may be attached in this position to the drawing surface by the adhesive strips 2326. The template 34 is then placed in position along the top side edge of the straight edge and the line of lettering made as described in the patents.

The straight edge may also be used to determine the locationof the next line of lettering' The height of the lettering to be used determines the spacing of the lines, as will be understood. Such spacing is indicated by the distance a: in Figure 2. For convenience, each template 34 is given a different identifying characteristic, 'such' as the number 24!) indicated at 36 on the tem-' Each such number plate 34 shown in Figure 1. indicates the size of the letter, in the'numbering indicated the height of the letter in th'ousandths of an inch; and therefore may be used as the indication of the desirable spacing of the line of lettering appropriate for that size of lettering.

is given a number corresponding to a number 36 of the related template.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 4, the straight edge 6 of this invention is illustrated as a rectangular member having upper and lower surfaces 1 and 8, parallel longer side edges I and I I, and ends I2. At least one of the side edges IO, II is straight. To therespective ends of the straight edge member 'are attached what may be termed anchoring strips 23, 24 with normally tacky material on their upper surfaces. In Figure 4, the strip 2324 is releasably adhered to the lower surface 8 of the straight edge member 6 and ay Conveniently, the upper edge of the,

extend outwardly as at 24 preferably in prolongation of the longitudinal axis of the straight edge member with its tacky side uppermost for adherence to the lower tacky surface of the end 25 of a strip 26, the tacky surface thereof being adapted to adhere to a drawing surface 28. The adhesive strip may be of any desirable material so long as the adhesive surface remains tacky and may be adhered to paper or other material without difliculty and may be removed there-..

of the end of the straight edge member, as shown in Figure 5, or inwardly thereof whereby the joint is wholly beneath the straight edge i. If the overlap 24-25 is relatively short and the tape is of considerably greater width, the illustrated ar-.

rangements hold the straight edge firmly and without any lateral play.

In the tape arrangement shown, it is possible, when the strips 26 are disengaged from the drawing surface and folded back over the top of the straight edge, to freely slide the straight edge from place to place over the surface without a tape portion sticking to the drawing surface and interfering with the free movement thereof.

When the straight edge is to be removed or moved from one place to another over the drawing surface, the adhesive strip can be readily raised at one corner and separated from the drawing surface by pulling the tape in a direc tion parallel to the surface of the paper. Thereby there is no tendency to lift the paper with the tape in removal. When completely removed from the paper and laid over the top of the straight edge, no tacky portion of the strip will engage the paper and the straight edge can be moved over the drawing surface without difficulty to another position and readily fastened again in position.

To determine the spacing for the neXt line of lettering, short lines 42 may be drawn on the paper along the bottom side edge I I conveniently directly below the numbered lines 4!] in question,

in this instance, the number 249 (Figure 1). It will be obvious that one single line may be drawn along the entire side edge but by drawing two short lines directly below the selected respective lines 40, the particular pair of lines 40 selected on the straight edge can readily be identified and.

the drawing is not marked more than is necessary. The straight edge is then released from the paper and moved downwardly until the pair of lines 40 register with the lines 42 previously drawn on the paper at the lower side edge of the straight edge (see Figure 2). The straight edge is then again fixed in the new position by attaching the adhesive strips to the paper and, in its new position, will serve to position the template. It will be readily understood from Figure 2 that the line 42 in register with the line 49 on the straight edge requires the upper side edge of the straight edge to be a distance a: (for the particular template) below the original position indicated by the line 33, The base line of the straight edge member is spaced from the bottom edge H of the straight edge a distance which is equal to the distance between the pen point 32 (when at the bottom of the line of lettering, indicated by the line 3%), and the bottom side edge or line of the template 34 (indicated by the line 33). The template was in abutting relation with the top side edge of the straight edge in the first position. The bottom of the second line of lettering will be at that distance as below the first line of lettering determined by the distance x of the mark 240 above the bottom side edge I I of the straight edge. In other words, the bottom of the template for the second line of lettering will be at a distance from line 3! equal to the sum of the distances w and at below the first line of lettering. Hence, the mark 40 is caused to register with the line 42 drawn on the paper and thereby the upper edge of the straight edge is moved downwardly a distance equal to the spacing of the lines of lettering appropriate to the size of the letters to be made. In this manner, the position of successive lines of lettering may be readily determined merely by registration of preselected lines and without necessitating the draftsman laying off in a vertical direction, by eye or otherwise, a suitable spacing for the successive lines for the lettering.

The scriber according to Patent No. 2,011,195, is capable of adjustment to produce slanting letters. For slanting letters, the arms of the scriber are moved farther apart as described in the patent. To space the straight edge for the first line of slanting letters, the base line of the straight edge is aligned with the bottom of the first line of the proposed lettering, for instance, the line 36 on Figure 1. The position of the bottom or lower side edge ll of the straight edge is then indicated on the paper by line 33 as before. The straight edge is then moved downwardly until the lines 46 marked Slant on the straight edge register with the line 33. Then a line is drawn along the bottom of the straight edge. The base line of the straight edge when coinciding with the last drawn line is then spaced from the first line of lettering 30 a distance equal to the sum of the distance in and the distance of the line 45 above the lower edge ll of the straight edge. The template is then positioned against the top side edge of the straight edge and the lettering is made as before. It will be understood that the slant lines are only used to position the template for the first line of slanting letters. Since the spacing of the successive lines will be the same regardless of whether the letters are vertical or slanting, the procedure for spacing subsequent lines of slanting letters is the same as that heretofore described for spacing subsequent lines of vertical letters.

A modification of the invention is contemplated where the straight edge 6B, Figure 6, may, if desired, be made of opaque instead of transparent material. Instead of marking the face of the straight edge with lines 40 as indicated in the previously described modification, slots 48 may be formed in the straight edge through which lines may be drawn with the pencil. In this instance, however, the position of the slots is determined with respect to the upper side edge 49 of the straight edge, again the distance :11, which is the desired spacing of the lines. To position the template for the first line of lettering 30, the line 33 is first determined, as before, say by the width w of the straight edge, and the upper edge 49 of the straight edge is first caused to register therewith as a guide and support for a template. To determine the spacing for the second line of lettering, the upper edge 49 being in register with the line 33, lines 58 are drawn through the appropriate slots 48, again the one marked 240 (in Figure 6). This slot is spaced from the upper edge 59 the appropriate distance a: for the lettering indicated by the numeral 240. The upper edge of the straight edge is then moved downwardly to register with the lines 50 drawn through the slots 48, and the upper edge 49 of the straight edge (ill has thus been moved downwardly a distance :r from its previous position indicated by line 33.

It will thus be seen that a straight edge has been provided which is particularly useful in lettering drawings in those situations where the usual T-square or a drafting machine is not available. Furthermore, the straight edge forms a useful guide for lettering in lines ang-ularly related to the horizontal on maps or in other situations where only a few lines of lettering are required in diiierent angularly related positions over a sheet. The straight edge is particularly adapted for use with a scriber and template since the proper spacing of the lines of lettering can readily and accurately be determined, it being understood that the principles of the straight edge may be availed of for use with any sort of lettering guide using any type of lettering device.

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the composition, configuration and 1 disposition of the component elements going to" make up the invention as a whole as well as in the selection and combination of particular features for specific purposes, and no limitation is intended by the phraseology in the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying drawings except as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a scriber having a writing instrument and tracer pin and a template provided with character grooves for the tracer pin of the scriber, a straight edge adapted to determine the position of the lower edge of the template comprising base line means and an edge spaced therefrom a distance equal to the distance between the writing instrument when the tracer pin of the scriber is at the bottom of a character groove and the bottom edge of the template, the lower edge of said template being in abutting relation with the said edge of the straight edge.

2. In combination with a scriber having a Writing instrument and tracer pin and a template provided with character grooves for the tracer pin of the scriber, a straight edge adapted to determine the position of the lower edge of the template comprising base line means and an edge spaced therefrom a distance equal to the distance between the writing instrument when the tracer pin is at the bottom of a character groove and the bottom edge of the template, said straight edge being provided with indicating means at varying distances from an edge thereof to indicate the displacement of the straight edge and template for the desired spacing of a subsequent line of lettering of predetermined height, the lower edge of the said template being in abutting and sliding relation with an edge of the straight edge.

3. In combination with a scriber having a writing instrument and tracer pin and a template provided with character grooves for the tracer pin of the scriber, a straight edge adapted to determine the position of the lower edge of the template comprising base line means and an edge spaced therefrom a distance equal to the distance between the writing instrument when the tracer pin is at the bottom of a character groove and the bottom edge of the template, said straight edge being provided with lines parallel to said edge thereof and at varying distances from an edge thereof to indicate the displacement of the straight edge and the template for the desired spacing of a subsequent line of lettering, the lower edge of said template being in abutting and sliding relation with the said edge of the straight edge.

'4. In combination with a scriber having a writing instrument and tracer pin and a template provided with character grooves for the tracer pin of the scriber, a straight edge adapted to determine the position of the lower edge of the template comprising base line means and an edge spaced therefrom a distance equal to the distance between the writing instrument when the tracer pin is at the bottom of a character groove and the bottom edge of the template, said straight edge being provided with at least one line parallel to said edge thereof and at a distance from an edge thereof to indicate the displacement of the straight edge and the template for the desired spacing of a subsequent line of lettering, the lower edge of said template being in abutting and sliding relation with the said edge of the straight edge and means to secure the straight edge against displacement.

5. In combination with a scriber having a writing instrument and a tracer pin and a template provided with character grooves for the tracer pin of the scriber, a straight edge adapted to determine the position of the lower edge of the template comprising base line means and an edge spaced therefrom a distance equal to the distance between the writing instrument when the tracer pin is at the bottom of a character groove andbottom edge of the template, said straight edge being provided with slots parallel to said edge thereof and at varying distances from an edge thereof to indicate the displacement of the straight edge and the template for the desired spacing of a subsequent line of lettering, the lower edge of said template being in abutting and sliding relation with the said edge of the straight edge, and means to secure the straight edge against displacement.

6. In combination with a scriber having a writing instrument and a tracer pin and a template provided with character grooves for the tracer pin of the scriber, a straight edge adapted to determine the position of the lower edge of the template comprising base line means and an edge spaced therefrom a distance equal to the distance between the writing instrument when the tracer pin is at the bottom of a character groove and the bottom edge of the template, said straight edge being provided with at least one slot parallel to said edge thereof and at a distance from an edge thereof to indicate the displacement of the straight edge and the template for the desired spacing of a subsequent line of lettering, the lower edge of said template being in abutting and sliding relation with the said edge of the straight edge.

'7. In combination with a scriber having a writing instrument and a tracer pin and a template provided with character grooves for the tracer pin of the scriber, a straight edge adapted to determine the position of the lower edge of the template comprising base line means and an edge spaced therefrom a distance equal to the distance between the writing instrument when the tracer pin is at the bottom of a character groove and the bottom edge of the template, said straight edge being provided with at least one line parallel to said edge thereof and at a distance from the bottom edge thereof to indicate the displacement of the straight edge and the template for the desired spacing of a subsequent line of lettering, the lower edge of said template being in abutting and sliding relation with the said edge of the straight edge.

8. In combination with a scriber having a writing instrument and. a tracer pin and a template provided with character grooves for the tracer pin of the scriber, a straight edge adapted to determine the position of the lower edge of the template comprising base line means and an edge spaced therefrom a distance equal to the distance between the writing instrument when the tracer pin is at the bottom of a character groove and the bottom edge of the template, said straight edge being provided with at least one slot parallel to said edge thereof and at a distance from said edge to indicate the displacement of the straight edge and the template for the desired spacing of a subsequent line of lettering, the lower edge of said template being in abutting and sliding relation with the said edge of the straight edge.

9. In combination with a scriber having a writing instrument and a tracer pin and a template provided with character grooves for the tracer pin of the scriber, a straight edge adapted to determine the position of the lower edge of the template, said straight edge comprising base line means and an edge spaced therefrom a distance equal to the distance between the writing instrument when the tracer pin is at the bottom of a character groove and the bottom edge of the template, said straight edge being provided with spaced indicia at a predetermined distance from the base line means to indicate the displacement of the straight edge for the desired spacing of a second line of lettering, the lower edge of said template being in abutting and sliding relation with the said edge of the straight edge, and means to secure the straight edge in position.

10. In a device of the character described, in combination, a scriber having a writing instrument and a tracer pin and a template provided with character grooves for the tracer pin of the scriber, a straight edge adapted to determine the spacing of the lower edge of the template comprising base line means and an edge spaced therefrom a distance equal to the distance between the writing instrument when the tracer pin thereof is at the bottom of a character groove and the bottom edge of the template, the lower edge of the template being in abutting and sliding relation with the said edge of the straight edge, said straight edge having a lower surface adherent to a normally adhesive strip, first flexible strips each having a normally adhesive upper surface whereof an end of each strip is adhered to the lower surface of each end portion of the straight edge, second strips each having a normally adhesive lower surface and adhered to the exposed upper adherent surface of the free ends of the respective first-named strips and whereof the other ends of the respective last-named strip s 9 extend away from the ends of the straight edge Number for adherence to a drawing surface. 2,016,985 2,050,058 WALTER HARRY SCHNEIDER. 2,161,236 5 2,390,466 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: gg UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 369,861 Number Name Date 950,696 Herman Mar. 1, 1910 Name Date Carlson Oct. 8, 1935 Keuffel Aug. 4, 1936 Shaw June 6, 1939 Schneider Dec. 4, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Ccuntry Date Germany Apr. 22, 1922 Italy Apr. 1, 1939 

